Many people had seen the Lord Chixiao of the Ancient Times Era.
But those who had seen the Lord Chixiao of the Present Era were few.
As everyone watched Gu Qingfeng walking down from the mountain now, their hearts couldn't help but harbor doubts.
Because the Lord Chixiao of the Ancient Times Era might not have been a dashingly handsome man, but he was absolutely a solitary, proud, and supremely dominant monarch. Especially that aura of looking down upon the world, and the highly representative Blood Fiend aura—you could feel it clearly even from ten thousand meters away.
Now look at this Gu Qingfeng.
Aura?
Blood Fiend?
Solitary, proud, and supremely dominant?
None!
Absolutely nothing.
He didn't even have cultivation or attainment. The impression he gave was like a young, spoiled noble who had just stepped out into the world, unaware of its vastness—grinning cheekily, his speech and conduct quite frivolous. He simply didn't seem like someone who had weathered life's storms.
Was he really Gu Tianlang, that earth-shaking overlord Lord Chixiao from the Ancient Times Era?
It was truly hard to believe and difficult to accept.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain.
Gu Qingfeng looked around. People were everywhere, not even a place to sit. But Fei Kui was sharp-eyed, as if he had prepared in advance, quickly pulling out a master's chair from his storage bag and placing it under a large tree. Then he fussed about, setting up a table, and next, like performing magic tricks, piled a heap of fine wine and delicacies onto the table.
This scene left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
Among those present, there was no shortage of young masters and pampered heirs, and many had servants attending them. Those with eyes as sharp as Fei Kui's were certainly not few either. But to put on such a grand display under the watchful eyes of everyone, right before the entire world—whether in the Ancient Times Era or the Present Era—Gu Qingfeng was absolutely the first.
The big shots from various major sects and great clans had come to denounce him.
First, he had been sleeping.
Now, after waking up, he was actually leisurely and comfortably sitting under a large tree, publicly drinking wine?
Even in the Ancient Times Era, when he possessed the Immortal-Demon Unmatched Throne, Lord Chixiao hadn't been this arrogant!
How was it that now, without the Immortal-Demon Unmatched Throne, he was even more audacious? Moreover, he seemed to not have placed those who came to denounce him in his eyes at all—not one bit. If he had even a shred of fear, he probably wouldn't act so recklessly.
"Kid Gu, after so many years apart, your skills haven't seemed to improve, but your show of arrogance is quite something."
Wine Immortal Zhen Yang was definitely a man who did as he pleased. But to put on such a grand display before the entire world—he couldn't do it, nor did he have the guts. Because he knew that sitting here so leisurely and comfortably wasn't just about putting on a show. It was telling everyone: 'I am the lord of heaven, the lord who scorns all living beings!'
Yes!
Exactly!
It was absolutely the lord who scorns all living beings.
After all, the people who came were all notable figures from various major sects. Some Ancestors were of such seniority that even Wine Immortal Zhen Yang would have to address them as 'Senior.' That wasn't all. The most important were those mysterious great powers lurking in the shadows. Who the hell knew what exalted beings those were? You should at least give them a bit of face, right?
What did your sitting down like this mean?
Wasn't it clearly telling those great powers: 'I, your lord, am just this domineering and this overbearing'?
"Back when I had no ability, I walked on my knees with my head bowed. Now I have a little bit of skill, I've finally endured through to see the light of day, so naturally I should puff out my chest and swagger."
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, gesturing for Wine Immortal Zhen Yang to come sit with him.
Wine Immortal Zhen Yang shook his head fiercely. "Spare me, old man. I'm not as overbearing as you, kid."
Wine Immortal Zhen Yang had cultivated for over ten thousand years. Although his cultivation grew higher and his strength greater, his courage grew smaller. Precisely because his cultivation grew higher and he witnessed more and more, he became increasingly clear that his own abilities, before truly great powers, probably wouldn't even allow him to catch a breath before he kicked the bucket.
Not far away.
Yun Wan was also frowning as she watched Gu Qingfeng here, asking, "Sister Su Hua, he's acting like this... Aren't you worried?"
"Worried about what?"
"Acting like this easily provokes public anger... An arrogant attitude equals scorning everyone, including those mysterious great powers lurking in the shadows."
"Sigh."
Su Hua only sighed and said nothing.
To be honest.
Su Hua also found Gu Qingfeng's overbearing attitude somewhat disagreeable.
But it was merely disagreeable.
She knew better than anyone that Gu Qingfeng absolutely had the qualification to be overbearing, the capability to be arrogant, and the strength to scorn everyone. Forget scorning these people; nine years ago, above the void in the Great Northwest, he dared to scorn the Three Thousand Great Daos, dared to kidnap a Buddha Lord, dared to threaten the Heavenly Dao. What didn't he dare to do? What couldn't he do?
A man whom even the so-called divine judgment of the gods, the Sacred Trial, could not execute—knowing that so many people had come to denounce him, he didn't go on a killing spree. He just sat leisurely and comfortably in a master's chair drinking wine. In Su Hua's view, this truly couldn't be counted as arrogance, nor as swaggering. Scorn?
I'm afraid these people, in Gu Qingfeng's eyes, didn't even have the qualification to be scorned by him.
Under the large tree.
Fei Kui stood respectfully to the side, pouring wine, while Gu Qingfeng sat on that somewhat worn master's chair, legs crossed, his head slightly tilted. His left hand held a cup of wine, his right hand played with the string of prayer beads left by Grand Master. He didn't speak, but instead glanced idly at the people in the field.
The sun shone overhead.
The once lively and noisy foot of Shangqing Sect Mountain had, since Gu Qingfeng's appearance, become suppressed, heavy, and tense.
Perhaps because Gu Qingfeng had left too many miserable shadows in the hearts of these big shots from the Ancient Times Era, or perhaps because Gu Qingfeng's current demeanor of being utterly carefree and fearless left them unable to gauge his depth, the big shots from the various major sects were all quite apprehensive. No one dared to be the first to speak.
"I say, old friends."
Suddenly.
The silent Gu Qingfeng finally spoke. His voice was very plain, devoid of any emotional color, as if chatting casually with some not-too-familiar friends. "Yesterday we agreed to drink some wine and reminisce together. Why did you bring your whole families and muster a grand procession? Calling over the youngsters from your homes is one thing, but why did you invite the old folks too? Was it necessary?"
"Yesterday, I genuinely intended to find you all for a drink and some reminiscing, truly without any other meaning. Later, listening to Sister Su, I realized you had misunderstood my intention, and even went back home specially to discuss it."
"As for me, I don't know whether you truly misunderstood my meaning or have other thoughts and aims. That's not too important either. Since everyone's here today, it's just as well."
Hearing Gu Qingfeng say 'just as well,' those who knew him, Su Hua and Wine Immortal Zhen Yang, felt their hearts lurch. They both knew Gu Qingfeng had a bad habit: he liked to wipe people out in one go.
Was this fellow's old ailment flaring up again?
Preparing to wipe out all these people in one go?